Word October 1999
by garnet eyes
Summary: Using Dictionary .com's October 1999 Word of the Day as basis for freehand thoughts and interactions of the Baron trio.  Length and perspective both vary.  Not intended to follow a single timeline.  Kain, Rosa, and Cecil in various combinations.
1. Affable C,K,R

Title: Word of the Day v. FFIV  
>Author: Garnet Eyes<br>Archived: fanfiction .net, livejournal .com  
>Last Updated: 26 Feb 2011<br>Summary: 01 October 1999 edition.  
>Rating: K<br>Characters/Pairings: Cecil, Kain, Rosa  
>Author Notes: <em>affable<em>, adjective;  
>1. Easy to speak to; receiving others kindly and conversing with them in a free and friendly manner.<br>2. Gracious; benign  
>Disclaimers: Final Fantasy IV is owned by Square-Enix and I in no way, shape, or form profit off of my writing. This is simply for my own pleasure, and may at any time be removed andor modified as I see fit.

...

Although he loathed speaking openly about his feelings, Kain knew that he needed a bit of help. And there were really only two people he would ever feel comfortable sharing with. Neither one of them would ever judge him, no matter what he said or did, nor would either interrupt him or push for him to make a snap decision, but the dragoon still found that it was easier to go to Rosa than Cecil. It wasn't that he loved the younger knight any less, but, for all of his kindness and generosity, Cecil probably acknowledged his emotions even less frequently than Kain. Actually, it would be more accurate to say that the smaller man accepted all of his consciously realized feelings readily, but anything that he hadn't noticed he rarely came to terms with until someone else pointed out his behaviors to him. Regardless, when it came to emotion, Cecil was very little help without needing to stop and think and _talk_, and Kain _hated talking_ about such things. So he needed Rosa. She held the most empathy among them and she was subtle enough to be able to understand what the dragoon required without his needing to spell it out to her. Cecil would understand the blonde's reasons for not including him, would accept it like he always did.


	2. Noisome K

Title: Word of the Day v. FFIV  
>Author: Garnet Eyes<br>Archived: fanfiction .net, livejournal .com  
>Last Updated: 26 Feb 2011<br>Summary: 02 October 1999 edition.  
>Rating: K+<br>Characters/Pairings: Kain  
>Author Notes: <em>noisome<em>, adjective;  
>1. Noxious; harmful; unwholesome.<br>2. Offensive to the smell or other senses; disgusting.  
>Disclaimers: Final Fantasy IV is owned by Square-Enix and I in no way, shape, or form profit off of my writing. This is simply for my own pleasure, and may at any time be removed andor modified as I see fit.

...

He really didn't want to admit to the paladin what he was overhearing in the courts, but to allow such words to fester was to allow the king to be undermined by several of his officers. Personally, Kain hardly cared how others perceived him, but he did find offense in how their distaste for him became ridicule for Baron's royalty. The king and queen were very dear to the dragoon; he was not about to leave their sides until his own death, and that meant that the murmurs would continue to seethe inside of Baron's court unless properly dealt with. Unfortunately, Kain had not the power to silence the words himself, or he would have. Cecil would be offended by what his guard had to tell him, without question, but he needed to stem this disturbance before it picked up any momentum. Even if everyone thought Kain to be a horrible rictus on the face of Baron's court, to speak ill of the king and queen for their support of him was repulsive.


	3. Exacerbate C,K,R, KxCxR

Title: Word of the Day v. FFIV  
>Author: Garnet Eyes<br>Archived: fanfiction .net, livejournal .com  
>Last Updated: 26 Feb 2011<br>Summary: 03 October 1999 edition.  
>Rating: M<br>Characters/Pairings: Cecil, Kain, Rosa, Kain x Cecil x Rosa  
>Author Notes: <em>exacerbate<em>, transitive verb;  
>1. To render more severe, violent, or bitter; to irritate; to aggravate; to make worse.<br>Disclaimers: Final Fantasy IV is owned by Square-Enix and I in no way, shape, or form profit off of my writing. This is simply for my own pleasure, and may at any time be removed and/or modified as I see fit.

...

Cecil had been exhausted recently, yet he'd had immense difficulty both getting to and staying asleep. Rosa and Kain both worried for him, as days wore into weeks and the paladin continued to lose sleep like so many wisps of dust in the wind, dark bruises forming heavily under his eyes. By the end of the third week of various attempts at herbal sleep aids, Kain suggested – privately to Rosa, to gather her opinion on his idea – that they completely wear Cecil down. Baron's queen agreed that physical fatigue might assist her husband in sleeping, and the dragoon wasted no time in drawing the king out to their favorite practice field when they had been training to take their places as fully fledged knights. The older knight pushed the paladin as hard as he could in a drawn out spar, forcing the smaller male to work to block well-aimed strikes. After a long, hard training session, the king was no closer to sleeping than before, however. Now sore and restless, Cecil continued handling a few more missives before he intended to turn in for bed.

Obviously, just a good battle hadn't worn him down enough. The next step ended up being a rather spontaneous decision that both blondes seemed to come to at once, and Cecil never even stood half a chance against their dual assault. "Medicinal sex" sounded odd in his head, but Kain forced his mind from his own pleasure for his king's sake. Between the dragoon and the white mage, their king was reduced to a sweaty, sticky mess of uncoordinated, limp limbs. Yet he remained awake enough to complain about their unexpected desire to have him and then leave him in discomfort for the remainder of the night.

Although more than ready to fall asleep himself, Kain aided Rosa in preparing a bath and moving Cecil to soak inside of it, his mind perhaps a bit fuzzy but still focused on how to help his king sleep properly, since fighting and sex didn't seem to be effective means to that end. The larger blonde was surprised out of his thoughts when his queen gently placed a palm against one of his biceps and pressed her finger to her lips when Kain turned to her in question. Brows quirking, the dragoon followed the line of her gaze to the lax form inside of his hold; Cecil was asleep. Picking him up out of the water, drying him off, and carrying him to the bed caused not even the slightest flutter of moon-tone eyelashes; the king stayed comatose well into the next morning. So apparently Kain's methods _were_ the most effective.


	4. Lackadaisical K, KxCxR

***Note**: 04 October 1999 edition is rated MA; see profile for other posting sites.

Title: Word of the Day v. FFIV  
>Author: Garnet Eyes<br>Archived: fanfiction .net, livejournal .com  
>Last Updated: 26 Feb 2011<br>Summary: 05 October 1999 edition.  
>Rating: T<br>Characters/Pairings: Kain, Kain x Cecil x Rosa  
>Author Notes: <em>lackadaisical<em>, adjective;  
>1. Lacking spirit or liveliness; showing lack of interest; languid; listless<br>Disclaimers: Final Fantasy IV is owned by Square-Enix and I in no way, shape, or form profit off of my writing. This is simply for my own pleasure, and may at any time be removed and/or modified as I see fit.

...

In the dead of winter Baron castle could seem very depressing, as a huge gray structure under a bland gray sky while white misted the ground and chilled every inhabitant bone deep. As much as Kain loathed the cold, however, he was a greater fan of winter than of summer. Cold armor was the worst in the morning, without question, and some days Baron's king didn't even bother with it, layering himself in the highest quality wool until the heavy cloth nearly restricted his movements. Kain couldn't get away with doing that when he was on duty, which he kind of always was even if he was technically off duty as often as any other castle guard. The Last Highwind, not only the Lord Commander of Baron's Royal Dragoon Guard, was also officially the royal couple's primary guard. He was, frankly, _always_ with Cecil and Rosa, so he was never really completely off duty. Although it could be argued that he was not a good objective party to decide on the matter. Baron's royal couple were his life, and the holy dragoon was wholly devoted to their health. That meant, in the end, that he would suffer the icy metal armor as necessary to ensure that he was prepared for any eventuality. There was warmth, at least, in knowing that Cecil trusted in him enough to actually be willing to forgo donning his armor, which, Kain had discovered, had never happened in the dragoon's entire seventeen year absence.

So, yes, the winter was not exactly pleasant for the blonde knight, but, in the summer, the heat could be so stifling that the mere thought of getting within close proximity to another human being – another source of heat – was unbearable. In winter, much the opposite was true. Both Cecil and Rosa had the same reaction if he put a chill hand on, say, the backs of their necks, mirroring the same startled gasps and the same half scowls, even down to the same furrow of their brows while they grasped the cold appendage in their hands and rubbed, complaining that he needed to keep himself warmer lest he freeze solid. The worry was gratifying, but not nearly as exciting as their nighttime rituals. When one could imagine heatwaves rising from the ground, it turned out that even daydreaming about sex was too much work. When layers of heavy blankets were necessary to trap the heat in, however, even a prude like Cecil was willing to suggest a bit of fun. And by "suggest," Kain really meant "get into bed wearing a night tunic and no pants" because, well, pants just got in the way. And if the paladin was really cold? "Suggest" included grabbing Kain by the groin of his trousers with one hand while pulling his wife against his side and kissing her soundly. The dragoon certainly had no objections to fulfilling that particular duty.


	5. Hauteur K, KxC

Title: Word of the Day v. FFIV  
>Author: Garnet Eyes<br>Archived:  
>Last Updated: 26 Feb 2011<br>Summary: 06 October 1999 edition.  
>Rating: M<br>Characters/Pairings: Kain, Kain x Cecil  
>Author Notes: <em>hauteur<em>, noun;  
>1. Haughty manner, spirit, or bearing; haughtiness; arrogance<br>Disclaimers: Final Fantasy IV is owned by Square-Enix and I in no way, shape, or form profit off of my writing. This is simply for my own pleasure, and may at any time be removed and/or modified as I see fit.

...

Cecil, Kain thought, was _very_ good for his ego. Most men, the dragoon was certain, would be more adamant about doing the mounting during sex. Even if it was two men conjoining, it seemed more likely that both would want their turn as the aggressor, so to speak. Yet Cecil spread his legs as if on instinct before they were even completely on the bed. Because, apparently, Kain was just _that good_.


	6. Skulk C,K, KxC

Title: Word of the Day v. FFIV  
>Author: Garnet Eyes<br>Archived: fanfiction .net, livejournal .com  
>Last Updated: 26 Feb 2011<br>Summary: 07 October 1999 edition.  
>Rating: T<br>Characters/Pairings: Cecil, Kain, Kain x Cecil  
>Author Notes: <em>skulk<em>, intransitive verb;  
>1. To hide, or get out of the way, in a sneaking manner; to lurk.<br>2. To move about in a stealthy way.  
>3. To avoid responsibilities and duties.<br>noun;  
>who skulks.<br>2. A group of foxes.  
>Disclaimers: Final Fantasy IV is owned by Square-Enix and I in no way, shape, or form profit off of my writing. This is simply for my own pleasure, and may at any time be removed andor modified as I see fit.

...

"Stop that."

Glancing over at the clearly flustered paladin, Kain raised a brow in question but did not move from his seat at his desk in their shared bedchamber.

"Stop what?"

Huffing, the shorter man shifted in his seat, a clear dismissal, as he continued reading the next missive on his desk. The holy dragoon watched his king a moment longer before turning back to his own interests, and the room fell silent once more. Cecil shifted twice more before he emitted a frustrated grunt and dropped the missive, setting aside his quill as he eyed the larger knight irritably.

"It isn't funny, Kain."

Blinking, the blonde turned his focus back toward the paladin and silently watched him for a moment before responding.

"...What isn't funny?"

A light pink flush of what was certainly anger colored milky cheeks as the king growled.

"Is there simply no way for you to behave appropriately for even a single day?"

Now completely baffled, the dragoon leaned back in his chair and eyed the smaller man in growing curiosity. Cecil was a giant prude without question, but Kain could not think of anything that he had done recently to set his king's mood afoul.

"...Pardon?"

It seemed that the younger man had been storing his upset for a while, based on the vehemence with which he said his next words.

"Stop touching yourself!"

Chocolate eyes dropped down to the little paper creation that he had been working on under the rim of the desk, a little folded flower design that had been "taught" to him by the child mage Porom while he had been at Mount Ordeals that could act as a container of sorts. The dragoon felt his lips quirk before he could control the reaction and Kain struggled to contain his laughter; he was only marginally successful, his chuckles mostly muffled by sheer force of will. Cecil stiffened in his seat, clearly offended, and the blonde fancied that his paladin was thinking some rather unholy thoughts about him.

"Is that your general assumption? If you cannot see my hands, I must be doing something untoward?"

At a cross between anger and embarrassment, the king's lips drew thin as he glared at the larger knight. Kain did not wait for Cecil to pull his thoughts together, his expression turning a touch lecherous as he passed his gaze down the silk-covered length of the younger man's frame.

"I would make it far more obvious if I was enjoying myself to thoughts of you. Further, why would I bother with mere daydreams when you are right here for the taking?"

Vibrant color on his cheeks, the younger man crossed his arms and jerked his head to the side irritably, about as angry as a kitten stroked the wrong way, although undeniably more dangerous. Chocolate eyes traced the smooth lines and soft angles of Cecil's upturned face and Kain couldn't help but grin wider. The king couldn't pull off haughty to save his soul; he only looked adorably huffy. Standing smoothly, the blonde passed from behind his desk with clear intention to end up at his paladin's side and his grin morphed into a superior smirk that only broadened when the younger knight's head jerked back toward him in apprehension as he approached. Casually stopping at the edge of the well worn desk, Kain set down the little paper ornament and watched in bemusement as Cecil eyed it as though it might attack him. After a few quick glances up at chocolate eyes, hesitant powder white fingers touched the edges curiously.

"What is this?"

"What I was occupying myself with."

Color high on his cheeks, the smaller man curled down on himself much like a chastised puppy.

"Oh."

Blonde brow arching, Kain watched his king carefully handle the delicate creation, that childlike curiosity of his coming to the forefront even through apparent embarrassment.

"...Where did you come across this?"

"I made it."

Emerald eyes blinked once in obvious surprise, pale fingers stilling upon Kain's admission.

"...Oh."

After a long, slow blink, the paladin very carefully set the flower at the head of his workspace, clearly intending to keep it there.

"...I was unaware of this talent of yours."

Chuckling, the dragoon hooked the underside of the smaller knight's chin and lifted it, bending down at the same time. Lips just a hair's breadth apart, the blonde took a moment to speak.

"I have a great many skills."

A light touch of their lips was followed shortly by a more intimate press, mouths parting to allow their tongues to intertwine, and Kain willed the grin from his face as his hand dipped, unnoticed, down until he could palm his king's silk-covered bottom. Cecil jerked and stiffened, breaking the kiss with a sharp gasp before scowling pointedly at his loyal guard.

"Pervert."

No longer able to will away his grin, the larger knight pressed a quick kiss to blue lips.

"I hadn't been considering anything until you spoke. And I notice that you haven't moved."

To aid his point, Kain flexed the fingers of his hand, still cradling one thinly garbed, malleable globe, and watched his paladin flush completely scarlet.


	7. Voluble K

Title: Word of the Day v. FFIV  
>Author: Garnet Eyes<br>Archived: fanfiction .net, livejournal .com  
>Last Updated: 26 Feb 2011<br>Summary: 08 October 1999 edition.  
>Rating: K+<br>Characters/Pairings: Kain  
>Author Notes: <em>voluble<em>, adjective;  
>1. Characterized by a ready flow of speech.<br>2. Easily rolling or turning; rotating.  
>3. (Botany) Having the power or habit of turning or twining.<br>Disclaimers: Final Fantasy IV is owned by Square-Enix and I in no way, shape, or form profit off of my writing. This is simply for my own pleasure, and may at any time be removed and/or modified as I see fit.

...

Kain was fairly certain that he was going to fall asleep while listening to the endless drone of his academic instructor. If there was anyone less suited to teaching boring material, the dragoon-in-training did not want to know him; expressionless face, monotone voice, never shifting from his seat at the head of the room, Scholar Fautin was the absolute worst. What made these studies shift from bad to terrible, however, was the fact that Fautin seemed to rather like the sound of his voice, because he _never stopped talking_. Actually, Kain could probably fall asleep without repercussion because the man wasn't likely to notice. The blonde could always get a summary of the class from Cecil later; _he_ wasn't boring to listen to, at least.


	8. Ostracize K

Title: Word of the Day v. FFIV  
>Author: Garnet Eyes<br>Archived: fanfiction .net, livejournal .com  
>Last Updated: 26 Feb 2011<br>Summary: 09 October 1999 edition.  
>Rating: K+<br>Characters/Pairings: Kain  
>Author Notes: <em>ostracize<em>, transitive verb;  
>1. To banish or expel from a community or group; to cast out from social, political, or private favor.<br>2. [Greek Antiquity] To exile by ostracism; to banish by popular vote, as at Athens.  
>Disclaimers: Final Fantasy IV is owned by Square-Enix and I in no way, shape, or form profit off of my writing. This is simply for my own pleasure, and may at any time be removed andor modified as I see fit.

...

Although he would never admit it on pain of death, Kain was glad that Rosa had prevented him from disliking the shy, withdrawn little bloodless prince. Cecil was not a bad kid, even if he was a little weird for not knowing about some really common things. But he was friendly once he grew used to the blondes and he was often generous to a fault with them both. He wasn't always able to keep up with Kain and Rosa on their excursions, but he didn't complain and he doggedly followed them in their exploration even when it meant his clothes would be ruined and he'd be scolded. In short, he was like a kid brother. Which was why Kain _hated_ when the other boys picked at Cecil or made fun of him. Yes, he was a little weird, and yes, he wasn't royalty by blood, but there was nothing wrong with him. At least, nothing worth the kind of cruelty he sometimes received.


	9. Autocrat C, KxCxR

Title: Word of the Day v. FFIV  
>Author: Garnet Eyes<br>Archived: fanfiction .net, livejournal .com  
>Last Updated: 26 Feb 2011<br>Summary: 10 October 1999 edition.  
>Rating: M<br>Characters/Pairings: Cecil, Kain x Cecil x Rosa  
>Author Notes: <em>autocrat<em>, noun;  
>1. An absolute monarch who rules with unlimited authority; by extension, any person with undisputed authority in a relationship or situation.<br>Disclaimers: Final Fantasy IV is owned by Square-Enix and I in no way, shape, or form profit off of my writing. This is simply for my own pleasure, and may at any time be removed and/or modified as I see fit.

...

Cecil smothered a smile into the sweaty blonde locks under his chin as Kain mumbled something incoherent and nuzzled against the smaller man's chest in his sleep. At his side, Rosa slept on, her hand still hooked against the inside of the paladin's thigh, fingers brushing dangerously close to his well lubricated, thoroughly abused lower opening. Both his wife and his guard liked to secure him down and dominate him in bed, even going so far as to bind his wrists and ankles to each of the four corners of the mattress to leave him completely exposed and unable to move beyond a little squirming of his hips. They liked the power, liked to dictate when and how he achieved his release, and, for all that he hated talking about sex in any way, shape, or form, Cecil was perfectly willing to take on the role they wished of him. It was rather enjoyable, even, needing to put forth no effort for his own pleasure, and knowing that his inability to participate caused his beloved pleasure in kind. However, whatever power they perceived to lord over him when he was bound, he still held all of the control. Any signs of pain from him ended their "coerced" invasion of his body; and, yes, the paladin was well aware of his wife's interest in being inside of him as his personal guard liked to be. As long as she enjoyed herself, Rosa could have him however she liked. The same applied to Kain.

Although he would appreciate it if they didn't fall asleep before they untied him.


	10. Beholden C

Title: Word of the Day v. FFIV  
>Author: Garnet Eyes<br>Archived: fanfiction .net, livejournal .com  
>Last Updated: 26 Feb 2011<br>Summary: 11 October 1999 edition.  
>Rating: K+<br>Characters/Pairings: Cecil  
>Author Notes: <em>beholden<em>; transitive verb;  
>1. To affirm with confidence; to declare in a positive manner, as in confidence of asserting the truth.<br>2. (Law) To assert, claim, or declare as a fact.  
>Disclaimers: Final Fantasy IV is owned by Square-Enix and I in no way, shape, or form profit off of my writing. This is simply for my own pleasure, and may at any time be removed andor modified as I see fit.

...

Cecil was not wholly pleased with how his life had turned out. He had a kingdom to care for, a wife to adore, a son to raise, the respect of many foreign nations, and yet the paladin felt deeply just how his life would have been had it not been for his best friend. The dragoon had sacrificed a great deal for the younger knight, and Cecil knew that – had known it possibly all along without consciously realizing it. Baron's king had no doubts that he would see his best friend again, but he _did_ doubt that he would ever be able to repay all of his debts. That didn't mean that the paladin wouldn't try to.


	11. Aplomb C,K,R, KxCxR

Title: Word of the Day v. FFIV  
>Author: Garnet Eyes<br>Archived: fanfiction .net, livejournal .com  
>Last Updated: 26 Feb 2011<br>Summary: 12 October 1999 edition.  
>Rating: M<br>Characters/Pairings: Cecil, Kain, Rosa, Kain x Cecil x Rosa  
>Author Notes: <em>aplomb<em>, noun;  
>1. Assurance of manner or of action; self-possession; confidence; coolness.<br>Disclaimers: Final Fantasy IV is owned by Square-Enix and I in no way, shape, or form profit off of my writing. This is simply for my own pleasure, and may at any time be removed and/or modified as I see fit.

...

"No."

"Just try."

"No."

"Cecil-"

"No, no, no."

"...Once?"

"No! I have doubts as to how _you_ fit. _That_ will not get near me."

Azure eyes blinked at the closed door to the royal bedchamber, partly surprised and partly bemused. Rosa wanted to say that Cecil and Kain were arguing over an innocuous subject, but Kain sounded just shy of begging, and that meant that whatever they were arguing about had to do with physical intimacy. She half wanted to go into the bedchamber now, just to see, but Cecil sounded as though he was ready to take any escape he could perceive, and the white mage was more curious as to what, precisely, the dragoon intended to do with the younger knight. If she came back in ten minutes, tops, Kain would have Cecil in whatever position he wanted, _doing_ whatever he wanted. Of that, there was no question. Equally, there was little doubt that she would enjoy walking in on whatever act was being performed. It may have been untoward of her according to society's standards, but there was very little that could be counted as better than seeing her boys in the midst of intimacy.


	12. Disheveled R, CxR

Title: Word of the Day v. FFIV  
>Author: Garnet Eyes<br>Archived: fanfiction .net, livejournal .com  
>Last Updated: 26 Feb 2011<br>Summary: 13 October 1999 edition.  
>Rating: T<br>Characters/Pairings: Rosa, Cecil x Rosa  
>Author Notes: <em>disheveled<em>, adjective;  
>1. In loose disorder; disarranged; unkempt.<br>Disclaimers: Final Fantasy IV is owned by Square-Enix and I in no way, shape, or form profit off of my writing. This is simply for my own pleasure, and may at any time be removed and/or modified as I see fit.

...

Rosa found secret pleasure in seeing her husband leave their bedchamber with his tunic askew over improperly tied trousers, the swagger in his step and the mussed fall of his hair all proof of a lewd morning interlude. It was her way of laying claim on the man she loved, her way of letting everyone know without a doubt whose he was, how much he was loved. She, of course, was expected to be pristine, and she never left their chambers with a single hair out of place, but she did not need to. No one would question why the king of Baron always looked so satisfied in the mornings.


	13. Precocious K, imKxC

Title: Word of the Day v. FFIV  
>Author: Garnet Eyes<br>Archived: fanfiction .net, livejournal .com  
>Last Updated: 26 Feb 2011<br>Summary: 14 October 1999 edition.  
>Rating: T<br>Characters/Pairings: Kain, implied Kain x Cecil  
>Author Notes: <em>precocious<em>, adjective;  
>1. Characterized by or characteristic of exceptionally early development or maturity (especially in mental aptitude)<br>2. (Botany) Flowering or fruiting early.  
>Disclaimers: Final Fantasy IV is owned by Square-Enix and I in no way, shape, or form profit off of my writing. This is simply for my own pleasure, and may at any time be removed andor modified as I see fit.

...

Kain had always been a bit ahead of his age mates in certain aspects. He took a fancy to selecting a bride early on, and he grew interested in a nebulous concept of sex years before any other boys. Having Cecil as a friend was excellent stress relief for several reasons in such instances where his loins began to misbehave. First, the smaller boy was a fellow knight in training and he was always up for a spar. Second, after their spars the two of them always went to the baths to clean up. The prince was still young, but he was frightfully androgynous and Kain's eye wandered when the slender frame was naked. Cecil was too naive to be anything but oblivious, but that was fine with Kain, because he wasn't certain that he _wanted_ his friend to realize his curiosity.


	14. Reticent C, imKxCxR

Title: Word of the Day v. FFIV  
>Author: Garnet Eyes<br>Archived: fanfiction .net, livejournal .com  
>Last Updated: 26 Feb 2011<br>Summary: 15 October 1999 edition.  
>Rating: T<br>Characters/Pairings: Cecil, implied Kain x Cecil x Rosa  
>Author Notes: <em>reticent<em>, adjective;  
>1. Inclined to keep silent; reserved; uncommunicative.<br>2. Restrained or reserved in style.  
>3. Reluctant; unwilling.<br>Disclaimers: Final Fantasy IV is owned by Square-Enix and I in no way, shape, or form profit off of my writing. This is simply for my own pleasure, and may at any time be removed and/or modified as I see fit.

...

Cecil had a tiny obsession with Kain's mouth. More precisely, he had a love affair with what that mouth could _do_. Rosa could vouch for it, too, having experienced much the same; their guard had an amazing talent that he clearly liked to put to use as much as they liked having him use it. Although the paladin could do without his royal guard's thoroughly inappropriate innuendo on the subject. Kain's mouth was in better use when he wasn't talking.


	15. Legerdemain C,R, KxCxR

Title: Word of the Day v. FFIV  
>Author: Garnet Eyes<br>Archived: fanfiction .net, livejournal .com  
>Last Updated: 26 Feb 2011<br>Summary: 16 October 1999 edition.  
>Rating: M<br>Characters/Pairings: Cecil, Rosa, Kain x Cecil x Rosa  
>Author Notes: <em>legerdemain<em>, noun;  
>1. Sleight of hand.<br>2. A display of skill, trickery, or artful deception.  
>Disclaimers: Final Fantasy IV is owned by Square-Enix and I in no way, shape, or form profit off of my writing. This is simply for my own pleasure, and may at any time be removed andor modified as I see fit.

...

"Kain! Come back here right now!"

Azure eyes blinked as a flash of blue and blonde launched passed her in the hall and it was not too much later that her husband stormed down the passage clutching tightly against himself the red silk sheet that should have been on their bed, bunching it at his groin. He wasn't even wearing any shoes.

"..Cecil...?"

Emerald eyes blinked as they caught sight of the white mage before the heavy blush on his cheeks darkened and the paladin turned his gaze away.

"Apologies, but has Kain come this way, Rosa?"

Folding her hands in front of herself, Baron's queen mused that their guard must have done something impressively perverse for Cecil to not even bother to make himself decent before chasing him down.

"May I ask why you are looking for him?"

Obviously embarrassed, her husband shifted his stance and glared down the empty hall behind her, his face scrunched into a pout that was probably meant to be more threatening, possibly even a scowl.

"He has stolen all of my clothing."

That... was not exactly what Rosa had expected; surely something else had happened to actually force her king out wandering the castle halls while in such a state of undress.

"All of it?"

Huffing, the paladin eyed her in annoyance.

"You think I would not have checked before walking the halls so disgracefully?"

Azure eyes sharpened on her husband as the white mage straightened to her full height. She'd never been afraid of him before and she certainly wasn't going to be cowed now.

"Cecil Harvey, do not be cross with me."

Stiffening, the paladin bowed his head in that oddly submissive way that was reserved for her alone.

"My apologies, my lady. But I have searched our chambers, and I have been left with a completely empty wardrobe. How that man managed to do that without me waking, I cannot imagine."

It was certainly true that the king had an impressive ability to sleep like the dead and yet awaken the moment something entered his senses that felt threatening around him.

"Well, I seriously doubt you'll manage to catch him as you are now. Go back to our bedroom before you make a spectacle of yourself. I'll find him myself and I'll shoot an arrow in his foot if I have to."

The quirk of vivid blue lips proved that the paladin found amusement in her statement, but it was short-lived as the half-blood lunarian king drooped where he stood in clear defeat.

"As you say."

Rosa covered her smile behind her hand as Cecil groused back the way he came, her eye drawn to the way the sheet hugged her husband's backside so close that he might as well be naked. She probably should have warned him, but he was a sight to behold and it was hard enough to get him into a state of total undress without liquoring him up first that she felt she could be excused for following behind and absorbing this particular gift before she left to find their absentee guard. Cecil didn't need to know that his current situation was actually a team effort, didn't need to be made aware of how energetic the white mage became after sex and that she had actually done most of the moving herself while making certain that Cecil remained in deep sleep. Kain would field all of the rants because, as he himself stated, "she was the ace up his sleeve when it came to Cecil and sex." Maybe next time she could exchange the sheet with a hand towel and see if her husband could muster up to leaving the bedchamber with that as his only cover. Or perhaps that would be enough to cause him to pilfer through her belongings. Perhaps it was time to exchange her current wardrobe for dresses with fitted corsets and skirts. If her husband managed to fit himself into one of those, he was welcome to cover his modesty in such a way. Knowing Kain as she did, he would need time to organize his thoughts before he saw Cecil in such a state or his mind would overwhelm him with perverse suggestions. And the paladin was always adorable once he was flustered and trying to hush those lewd remarks. She wouldn't assist her fellow blonde with anywhere near the frequency that she currently did so if her husband wasn't so amusingly prissy; it was good for Cecil to have them at his side, or he would surely never unwind from all of the tension of his office.


	16. Vituperate C,K,R

Title: Word of the Day v. FFIV  
>Author: Garnet Eyes<br>Archived: fanfiction .net, livejournal .com  
>Last Updated: 26 Feb 2011<br>Summary: 17 October 1999 edition.  
>Rating: T<br>Characters/Pairings: Cecil, Kain, Rosa  
>Author Notes: <em>vituperate<em>, verb;  
>1. To find fault with; to scold; to overwhelm with wordy abuse; to censure severely or abusively; to rate.<br>Disclaimers: Final Fantasy IV is owned by Square-Enix and I in no way, shape, or form profit off of my writing. This is simply for my own pleasure, and may at any time be removed and/or modified as I see fit.

...

Kain had always hated the white mage instructor for Rosa's class. He was rude and condescending and he chose particular people to pick on in his class no matter how well they did. Rosa was one of the ones he'd targeted, and she'd ended up in tears more than once because of him. More than anything, Kain wanted to stab him every time that he said something that left one of his best friends sobbing in his arms. But what had really sent him over the edge was when that horrible waste of magical talent had made derogatory remarks about Rosa's family and lack of a living father. That attack had been an affront to the older blonde, one that he could not tolerate. He'd been punished for his actions regarding assaulting the mage, but this was just one of the many times that Kain was glad to know Cecil because the younger boy rarely threw his weight around but he'd gotten the knight-in-training out of worse scrapes before, and he'd done it without actually knowing all of the details. Rosa didn't want the young prince to know, and Kain honored her decision, and, although he was not pleased with being left ignorant, Cecil relented on pressing for details. To a point. The younger boy was deadly accurate with a blade in hand, and Kain was not always the victor in their spars. That was doubly true when Cecil was angry, because his fury was always so white hot it turned cold, and it never interfered with his skills. And Cecil hated the idea that his friends didn't trust him with something important.


	17. Foment C,K,R, KxCxR

Title: Word of the Day v. FFIV  
>Author: Garnet Eyes<br>Archived: fanfiction .net, livejournal .com  
>Last Updated: 26 Feb 2011<br>Summary: 18 October 1999 edition.  
>Rating: T<br>Characters/Pairings: Cecil, Kain, Rosa, Kain x Cecil x Rosa  
>Author Notes: <em>foment<em>, transitive verb;  
>1. To nurse to life or activity; to incite; to abet; to instigate; - often in a bad sense.<br>noun;  
>1. Fomentation; the act of fomenting.<br>2. State of excitation.  
>Disclaimers: Final Fantasy IV is owned by Square-Enix and I in no way, shape, or form profit off of my writing. This is simply for my own pleasure, and may at any time be removed andor modified as I see fit.

...

Both Rosa and Kain felt that Cecil was prone to being utterly adorable without meaning to be. For instance, the smaller knight contorted into a curled up ball, rather like a cat, when he slept, and he would shift toward the closest body in his sleep, probably for the warmth. It was incredibly obvious when he was unconscious, but he didn't have to be asleep to nuzzle his cheek against the hand that cupped it; Kain imagined that the half-blood would purr if he could on those occasions. The younger man was also incredibly shy about anything sexual and flushed pink at the slightest hint of anything lewd, even after so many years; the dragoon couldn't help himself but make perverse comments in the younger knight's presence if only to see color suffuse his milky white cheeks. And the expressions that came across his face when they made love! It was enough to send a man over the edge and utterly tear his will away, left with only the desire to please the smaller knight, to immerse him in ecstasy and receive as much in kind. Rosa was just as helpless to Cecil's lewd pleasure, just as incapable of denying him anything when he was in such a state. Although it would humiliate him if he were to ever find out, their shy half-blood had the most charming vocalizations, too. Regardless of whom performed the activities, be it one blonde, the other, or both, the smaller knight cried such endearing mewls of unsuppressed bliss as tears swam in doe-like emerald eyes.

Cecil couldn't help how he was, of course, but that was fine because his subconscious actions made the white mage and dragoon want to keep by his side always.


	18. Contumely C,K, KxC, imKxCxR

Title: Word of the Day v. FFIV  
>Author: Garnet Eyes<br>Archived: fanfiction .net, livejournal .com  
>Last Updated: 26 Feb 2011<br>Summary: 19 October 1999 edition.  
>Rating: T<br>Characters/Pairings: Cecil, Kain, Kain x Cecil, implied Kain x Cecil x Rosa  
>Author Notes: <em>contumely<em>, noun;  
>1. Rudeness or rough treatment arising from haughtiness and contempt; scornful insolence.<br>2. An instance of contemptuousness in act or speech.  
>Disclaimers: Final Fantasy IV is owned by Square-Enix and I in no way, shape, or form profit off of my writing. This is simply for my own pleasure, and may at any time be removed andor modified as I see fit.

...

"I don't like him."

Cecil startled, looking back over his shoulder at his usually silent guardian in bewilderment.

"..Why not?"

Arms crossed, the blonde scowled and glared after the departing brunette with something akin to murder in his eye.

"He's too false."

With a blank expression, the paladin glanced between the noble and the dragoon before settling his attention on the latter.

"Kain, surely you of all people understand the subtleties of political maneuvering."

Chocolate eyes wavered to the side, avoiding emerald, and the half-blood prince felt his lips twitch down in response. For a moment, it seemed as though the dragoon would not speak, but his voice was deep and smooth when he finally replied.

"...He's rude to Rosa."

Nodding in recognition of the comment, Cecil expressed the logic as he understood it, which was also why he was not more severe in his curbing the man of such ill behavior. The younger knight was not king yet, and such base behavior toward his soon-to-be queen would not be tolerated, of course, but he could not falter beforehand.

"She is only a first generation heiress to a newly risen noble name, and Lord Rathsburn is a twentieth."

Kain's head jerked to face the paladin; Cecil nearly winced at the speed, wondering if the older knight might have hurt himself doing that.

"You don't care that he's rude to you for the same reason?"

Shrugging, the smaller man began walking toward the inner courtyard, noting out of the corner of his eye that his dragoon followed him closely.

"I'm not even heir by blood. He has rights over-"

As swiftly as the blonde stepped in front of him, Cecil very nearly walked straight into him. Judging from how Kain's arms were braced to catch him, the impact wouldn't have been very hard, at least.

"He has no rights over you!"

Blinking, the smaller male eyed the dragoon quietly for a moment before speaking again.

"...He has rights over most everyone else, with the exception of the older Rotthammer and Highwind clans, and I cannot expect that he will not challenge my right to remain where I am when the late King Odin had several illegitimate heirs with his mistresses, men who at least might lay claim to honorable blood. Kain, what is bothering you, really?"

The dragoon glared off to the side, surprisingly close to sounding as though he was in a huff.

"Nothing."

Cecil remained silent, knowing that the blonde would give an actual reason if the younger man waited patiently.

"...He stares at you behind your back as though he wishes to devour you."

Really, Kain could be so dense sometimes, and the smaller man could appreciate the irony of _him_ thinking that.

"Well, yes, the courts are generally brutal-"

The paladin nearly startled at the heated glower suddenly directed toward him.

"Cecil. He. Wants. To. Bed. You."

For a moment the young prince could only stare incomprehensibly at his dearest friend before emerald eyes widened and heat surged into his face.

"Kain! Do not say such slanderous things!"

Now actually huffing, the larger knight crossed his arms over his chest and glared off into the distance at nothing in particular.

"I'll speak the truth as I see it. And what I see is a churl who is a poor reflection of his clan name, a dog sniffing at the legs of another man's property."

Really, it had been this way forever, and Cecil couldn't find it in himself to be offended by the older man's words; Kain had always been overtly possessive of his belongings, and had always thought of both Rosa and Cecil as "his," even well before the three of them had been aware of any of the connotations involved in the blonde's declaration. The younger knight supposed that that belief in ownership had to do with the blonde's breeding; his pedigree was one of many impressive knights and skilled politicians, after all, and the Highwind clan had a lot to show for itself, even down to its last living member. Cecil wasn't even a first generation noble, had even less of a foothold politically than Rosa, but his liege had wished for him to govern the people of Baron and Cecil himself wished to clean the dishonorable blemish from his empire's good name. The prince knew he could do much good for his country, even if he _was_ "bloodless trash" with no pedigree to speak of. Many of Baron's soldiers supported him, as did quite a few lesser nobles, but politics were tricky and Cecil could not depend on the Highwind name to give him the needed sway. He would have to make the name Harvey into one of esteem, one that did not need to have Highwind approval, no matter how grateful Cecil was to have Kain at his side.

Pink tinging his cheeks at his own daring, the paladin leaned up to steal a quick kiss from his clearly displeased dragoon before turning away and continuing on his way, stepping around the larger knight to do so.

"There is no other man I would allow in my bed, Kain. Or do you have so little faith in my skills as a knight that you feel I cannot defend myself?"

The dragoon matched his stride in an instant, his voice deep as a dragon's growl as he replied.

"I trust you to hold your own just fine in physical combat, but you're naive, Cecil, and you always have been."

Kain's obsessive concern for him was both flattering and enraging, but the paladin knew well where his own faults were and he was not offended when his dearest friend called him on them.

"I know I can be a bit dated in how I handle situations, but that is why I have you and Rosa to give me perspective."

The dragoon deliberately brushed shoulders, his low voice subtly calmer due to the younger knight's words.

"Then trust what I tell you now."

Cecil did not believe that Lord Rathsburn was really interested in anything more than his submission to the noble's authority, but he relented for Kain's sake. The blonde highborn noble had keen perception of many of the darker aspects of the court, and the prince was grateful for his ready assistance in all things.

"...I will be more wary, but there is little to be done until the heir to the throne is decided."

Kain snorted disdainfully, the haughtiness in his voice expected of a man of his lineage, although the words were a surprise given his tone.

"You're the only viable choice."

The paladin nodded agreeably, his own voice soft as he responded, attempting to keep his dragoon in this self-assured less hostile state.

"And he contests that. His family has great sway with the other nobles, so it would be in my best interests to convince him of my worthiness."

Abruptly, Kain stopped walking, and Cecil stopped a step and a half later, turning back toward his dearest friend in mild concern. The glower visible on the dragoon's face was startling, and the prince hurried after him when the blonde turned on the ball of his foot and prowled off in the direction that Lord Rathsburn had gone.

"Kain! Where are you going like that?"

The deep rumble of his voice was reminiscent of an angry dragon's roar when the larger knight responded.

"He'll blackmail you into sleeping with him."

Pink tinging his cheeks at such a brazen statement, the paladin managed to catch his errant dragoon's hand before the man got ahead of him.

"Stop this at once! You don't know that!"

The blonde did not pause to acknowledge the younger man via eye contact, his voice gruff and his words as blunt as ever.

"You're _mine_, Cecil. I'll not have any other man with any designs on you around."

This was neither the time nor the place to get into a fight, and it _would_ be a fight, not a spar, because Kain was dead set on harming the long gone noble and Cecil equally did not want or need the headache that that would bring. As far as strength went, the two knights were about equal, and it was only luck that the prince had been so close to the older man when the dragoon had gotten into his head the notion that he wanted to strike the young Lord Rathsburn, because Kain was the faster between them. Cecil hated what he was about to do, but he needed to calm the older man and Rosa was not near by to do so in her unique way.

Bracing himself for being dragged at least a few paces, the young prince hastened to place himself in his dearest dragoon's path, aligning their hips and pressing their chests together, purposefully widening his stance. As he suspected, Kain pushed forward, walking between armored legs and throwing Cecil's balance, forcing the smaller man to lace his arms around the dragoon's back or fall. The shift of his body forced Cecil to mentally acknowledge that he would end up with his legs hooking the older knight's hips should he continue to press, but the paladin ignored his current state as he lowered his voice to a husky whisper.

"Kain, please, I won't allow that to happen."

The dragoon froze, completely silent as he stared down at the half-blood prince. One blonde brow finally arched as the larger man spoke, his voice a mixture of shock and bemusement.

"...You are seducing me."

Unable to hold eye contact, Cecil looked to the side as he replied quietly.

"Yet you are not arguing."

Although he couldn't _exactly_ feel it, the paladin knew that his guard had just settled calloused hands against the armor covering his backside.

"I intend to have you naked and under me in the next ten minutes."

Heat flushed his face as Cecil uncoiled his arms and sought to stabilize himself against the packed dirt of the ground.

"That would be challenging, seeing as both you and I are nearly fully armored and we are currently outdoors."

Before he knew what had happened, the prince found himself spun around, entangled in the heavy fabric of his cape, hoisted into the dragoon's arms, and being carried toward the closest castle bedchamber.

"Challenge accepted."

Cecil didn't connect what had happened at first, but when he did it became obvious to him that the spin was on purpose because his arms were now bound against his sides and he was unable to struggle free. And the dragoon was _running_, as if the prince had _actually_ issued a challenge.

"What? Kain! Put me down!"


	19. Philomath K,R, KxCxR

Title: Word of the Day v. FFIV  
>Author: Garnet Eyes<br>Archived: fanfiction .net, livejournal .com  
>Last Updated: 26 Feb 2011<br>Summary: 20 October 1999 edition.  
>Rating: M<br>Characters/Pairings: Kain, Rosa, Kain x Cecil x Rosa  
>Author Notes: <em>philomath<em>, noun;  
>1. a lover of learning; a scholar.<br>Disclaimers: Final Fantasy IV is owned by Square-Enix and I in no way, shape, or form profit off of my writing. This is simply for my own pleasure, and may at any time be removed and/or modified as I see fit.

...

Rosa, Kain had discovered, was his soul's twin. As big of a prude as Cecil was, both blondes loved teasing him. Kain did so with regularity, but Rosa got in some spectacular digs with far less frequency, judging from the bright scarlet color Cecil sometimes took on and the subtle smirk on her lips as the embarrassed knight hurried away. It was endearing, how the younger man thought he was enacting revenge on them some days by waiting in their bedchamber for them fully disrobed, yet flushed pink from head to toe with an expression that showed he may well be debating redressing before they found him. As long as he wasn't in armor himself, Kain took specific glee in leaping on top of his precious paladin even as the smaller knight yelped and scrambled to get out of the way of his fall. Attempting to avoid a descending dragoon was folly, of course, but Kain used that has his excuse for getting in a good long grope or two when he landed. Rosa was certainly no better, but she lacked the elder blonde's skill class. That didn't stop her from molesting the naked man lying in wait on the bed.

The best part of knowing that Rosa and he were aligned when it came to unholy thoughts about their counterpart, however, was the fact that the beautiful white mage had a very perverse side to her, one that Kain was wholly enamored with, and she fed him a great many fanciful ideas of what they could do to the younger knight. They hadn't quite figured out how to coerce Cecil into allowing himself to be trussed up and gagged while completely bare, but the shear helpless embarrassment the paladin would exude was well worth the months upon months of careful planning. Kain was no less of a fan of several other suggestions, including being a voyeur while the younger blonde had her way with their king, and the concept of making love to their lovely, submissive half-blood while she played the voyeur to them got his blood boiling. Really, she had so many good ideas and Kain was only too happy to see any and all of them through.


	20. Aesthete K, imCxR

Title: Word of the Day v. FFIV  
>Author: Garnet Eyes<br>Archived: fanfiction .net, livejournal .com  
>Last Updated: 26 Feb 2011<br>Summary: 21 October 1999 edition.  
>Rating: K+<br>Characters/Pairings: Kain, implied Cecil x Rosa  
>Author Notes: <em>aesthete<em>, noun;  
>1. One having or affecting great sensitivity to beauty, as in art or nature.<br>Disclaimers: Final Fantasy IV is owned by Square-Enix and I in no way, shape, or form profit off of my writing. This is simply for my own pleasure, and may at any time be removed and/or modified as I see fit.

...

There were very few things that Kain truly felt moved by. It wasn't that he was uncultured or anything; his view of the world was merely focused on necessities. Certainly he was grateful for King Odin taking him in and raising him once his father and mother had been killed, but Kain did not expect to be handed anything and he made sure he earned everything he had. He didn't have the time to stop and admire anything that was "pretty," not if he wanted to retake his place in Baron's nobility and reestablish his clan name. Especially not if he wanted to make his own name great, and become an even better dragoon than his father had ever been.

He'd done that, now, to the best of his abilities, although it had been a rough and highly flawed process. He was happy as his life was now, and he'd accepted all that had happened, both good and bad, honorable and dishonorable, before. Now that he had the chance to pause, to really observe, the dragoon knight realized something. True beauty went beyond the visible, into the nebulous, intangible qualities that set man apart from beast. Cecil, he was truly beautiful. Rosa was truly beautiful. They devoted themselves to goodness, righteousness, and fairness toward their subjects. Their hearts were open, and they always sought for the good in others. Rosa had never changed, not really. She had always been beautiful inside and that fluently translated to the outside. Cecil had developed over time in the skills that the white mage had been gifted with at birth; certainly, he still had some reservations after all that had happened, but he worked to overcome himself and he'd been successful as far as Kain could see. And Kain could see a lot. Dear, naive Cecil, with his wholehearted devotion, stood by the dragoon through everything and never once doubted the blonde, no matter the confusion that the younger knight felt. The paladin never closed himself off, never shut the older blonde out, allowing Kain to bear witness to every gritty, painful inner struggle whenever the dragoon cared to look. Cecil had never thought himself overly strong, but his presence was a reliable one, and Kain trusted that he would have a place to return to once he'd freed himself of his weaknesses; he'd been right, of course, and Baron's paladin king had welcomed him into Baron castle with open arms. Welcomed him home. Kain knew he wouldn't be leaving again.


	21. Nefarious K,R, KxCxR

Title: Word of the Day v. FFIV  
>Author: Garnet Eyes<br>Archived: fanfiction .net, livejournal .com  
>Last Updated: 26 Feb 2011<br>Summary: 22 October 1999 edition.  
>Rating: T<br>Characters/Pairings: Kain, Rosa, Kain x Cecil x Rosa  
>Author Notes: <em>nefarious<em>, adjective;  
>1. Wicked in the extreme; iniquitous.<br>Disclaimers: Final Fantasy IV is owned by Square-Enix and I in no way, shape, or form profit off of my writing. This is simply for my own pleasure, and may at any time be removed and/or modified as I see fit.

...

"And what is _that_ look for?"

Chocolate eyes broke from their target to catch azure, but the dragoon merely nodded toward the woman approaching him from behind.

"What look would you be referring to, my queen?"

Hands on her hips, the blonde woman scowled, although it wasn't really one of her threatening scowls.

"Don't you dare, Kain. What are you planning?"

Amused, the knight turned to fully face his queen, his voice low and even despite his words.

"I am hurt, dear Rosa, that you would think so little of me."

A fine blonde brow arched as the white mage gestured toward what was behind the dragoon now, although Kain did not bother to glance back. He knew what scene laid in rear of him.

"Oh? You've been staring at Cecil for the past two days now."

His bemusement entered his voice at that point, and the knight turned back to face the direction he had been facing prior to his queen speaking to him. It wasn't a dismissal, and Rosa did not take it as such, merely stepping up to stand at his side.

"If you must know, I am performing an observatory study."

Although he could feel her gaze on his face once more, the older blonde did not tilt his head to acknowledge it.

"On?"

With a nod toward the oblivious paladin immersed in the missives stacked on his desk, Kain elaborated.

"The fastest way to loosen the connecting joints on Cecil's armor."

Out of the corner of his eye, the dragoon noted how his queen relaxed at his statement.

"That's easy."

Blinking once, the knight tilted his head to regard the younger blonde beside him in curiosity.

"Oh?"

Azure eyes sparkled, the same mischief present in her voice as she elaborated.

"Dear Kain, surely you know by now that the quickest way to get Cecil out of his armor is to give him the proper _reason_ to remove it."

For a moment, the elder blonde was surprised by his queen's words, but he could not help finding amused pleasure in them at the same time. His own reply turned a touch mischievous in the end, acknowledging her meaning simply.

"...I was more considering how to apply my spear to give myself an advantage during our next spar, but I like your idea better. Our king does look a bit _tense_ at the moment, doesn't he?"

It was true that Cecil was frowning at whatever document was currently in his hand, but, then, it was rare that he actually smiled while sorting through the many missives that reached his desk. Both blondes were aware of that fact.

"Why, you read my mind."

Kain really enjoyed the life he had entered into upon his return to Baron. He adored Cecil and the devotion between them, but the older knight found that he actually had a great deal in common with his childhood female friend that he'd never before realized. Like the desire to tease Baron's king mercilessly. And Rosa was very, very good at doing just that.

With a flourishing bow, the dragoon directed one arm toward their paladin and locked eyes with the white mage without rising from his position.

"After you."

Nodding toward him, Baron's queen began her approach toward the younger knight as Kain drew back from his bow.

"So kind of you."

Cecil read on, completely unaware of what designs had just been placed upon him.


	22. Flout C,K

***Note**: 23 October 1999 edition is rated MA; see profile for other posting sites.

Title: Word of the Day v. FFIV  
>Author: Garnet Eyes<br>Archived: fanfiction .net, livejournal .com  
>Last Updated: 26 Feb 2011<br>Summary: 24 October 1999 edition.  
>Rating: T<br>Characters/Pairings: Cecil, Kain  
>Author Notes: <em>flout<em>, transitive verb;  
>1. To treat with contempt and disregard; to show contempt for.<br>intransitive verb;  
>1. To mock, to scoff.<br>noun;  
>1. Mockery, scoffing.<br>Disclaimers: Final Fantasy IV is owned by Square-Enix and I in no way, shape, or form profit off of my writing. This is simply for my own pleasure, and may at any time be removed and/or modified as I see fit.

...

For the longest time, Kain had thought that the other boys were right in treating the adopted prince so poorly. He wasn't a blood heir and he wasn't even remotely normal anyway. The kid was tiny for his age, too; when Kain was seven, he was a full head and a half taller than the fake prince, and five year old Rosa eclipsed him by a little more than half a head. It was pathetic. That no-name pampered brat was going to be a weak, sniveling coward, unworthy of his place in Baron's court. No one with proper breeding wanted that little rat anywhere near them, and those without proper breeding followed the set example. By consensus the noble children concluded that shunning the mongrel would learn him his place, and Kain did not mind following the group in that instance. Not eve Rosa was willing to directly oppose everyone, and the no-name prince was met with cold shoulders and colder eyes.

The fake prince shied away from them all quickly, and, looking back on his childhood, Kain hated himself for the trauma he had foisted onto the little white-haired child. Cecil had grown up too quickly. Since no one wanted anything to do with him, the tiny boy didn't bother playing; it wasn't fun to toss a ball when one was alone. He devoted himself to the courts, studying things he shouldn't have even thought about yet and trying to fit himself into a mold where at least _someone_ would pay attention to him. Even that was a struggle, because he was "too young to understand the adult world," and very few people gave him any time of day. But at least the adults acknowledged his existence, and that was more than could be said for their progeny. So Cecil tried harder, learned all sorts of laws and ledgers, grasped desperately for even a sliver of attention by making himself relevant to their conversations. The king chided him for such behavior, directing him instead toward joining his age group in their activities. Cecil understood dismissal very well, and had understood it long before the age of six; the dragoon cringed to think how that kind of censure must have stung the young boy.

Fully outcast, Cecil was left to his own devices. His academic skills far outstripped anyone near his age at that point, but Cecil was frail, having long given up even pretending to approach the noble children to request to join their activities. It made him an easy target for those who would pick on him, and Cecil was too naive to know any better until it was too late. Humiliation was enough to cause him to begin hiding, no longer hoping for any form of acknowledgement from his age mates; Kain had come across the little no-name prince once or twice in the libraries, avidly reading all of the boring things that the adults spoke on, but the blonde pretended that he hadn't seen the boy each time. Eventually, the ghostly white child skittered from his hiding place inside the libraries to approach one of the tutoring instructors for those training to become knights. Cecil hadn't a thick enough skin to allow the man's laughter to reflect off of him, especially when the knights-in-training laughed uproariously along with him; shamed, the short little boy dared not approach anyone else with his apparently stupid request.

With no one to train him, the false prince retreated and watched the way the knights strengthened themselves. He was very resourceful, even then, and Cecil vanished from the castle for long stretches of the day, sometimes hurrying away early in the mornings before the breakfast hour and coming back late in the evenings too tired for supper, for weeks, often bruised and cut up with dirt and sweat staining his torn clothing, before anyone clued in on his whereabouts. And _that_ only happened because he didn't come home one night. Kain remembered well how many search parties had been sent, even if he didn't understand why it was so important to recover some little brat with no lineage. It turned out that the false prince had been struggling to train himself, to give himself the strength and endurance he thought necessary to even attempt to request aid again, and he'd managed to fracture his leg in two places from a very bad fall during his "training."

By the time Kain actually got around to accepting and, eventually, befriending the younger boy, it was far too late. Cecil had not fundamentally changed since he'd been a very tiny child. He might be grown, now, but the younger man was so badly burned by his life that he could not free himself from the need to please, to prove to _someone_ that he was worthy of even the barest scraps of affection and attention. It wasn't all Kain's fault, but he frequently wished that he'd not felt as though it was acceptable to go along with the others and shun the lonely little boy who so desperately wanted someone, anyone, to stop ignoring him.


	23. Sesquipedalian C,K

Title: Word of the Day v. FFIV  
>Author: Garnet Eyes<br>Archived: fanfiction .net, livejournal .com  
>Last Updated: 26 Feb 2011<br>Summary: 25 October 1999 edition.  
>Rating: K+<br>Characters/Pairings: Cecil, Kain  
>Author Notes: <em>sesquipedalian<em>, adjective;  
>1. Given to or characterized by the use of long words.<br>2. Long and ponderous; having many syllables.  
>Disclaimers: Final Fantasy IV is owned by Square-Enix and I in no way, shape, or form profit off of my writing. This is simply for my own pleasure, and may at any time be removed andor modified as I see fit.

...

"I just don't understand why they must do this."

Kain could not help his low chuckle, although he did not look up from polishing the blade of his spear.

"It is no worse than any other clan."

Cecil groused for a moment before quieting down, and the dragoon took it that their "conversation" was over. After the sound of shifting paper, the paladin suddenly groaned and dropped his head against his desk with a thud, and Kain did not need to look over to detect the clear frustration in the younger man at that moment.

"I can't find it."

Sighing, the dragoon eased his spear onto the rest that was next to him before standing and making his way to his king's side.

"It's right in front of you."

If Cecil had ever been capable of glaring death at a man, which he _hadn't_, the dragoon would have felt the piercing sting of emerald eyes against the side of his face.

"I can barely read his usual scrawl; how in the name of all that's holy do you expect me to divine what characters he used in his signature?"

A blonde brow arched as the off-duty knight glanced from the missive to his king.

"But you know that this is from Lord Haigioshandenfreeude."

Cecil's nose wrinkled in irritation as he replied, his voice balancing somewhere between exhaustion and disgust.

"But that doesn't mean I know how to _spell_ it."

Actually, Kain didn't really remember how to spell that name, either, so he opted to remain quiet. Cecil didn't allow the silence to last for long.

"There should be a limit to the length of clan names."


	24. Inchoate C,K,R, KxCxR

Title: Word of the Day v. FFIV  
>Author: Garnet Eyes<br>Archived: fanfiction .net, livejournal .com  
>Last Updated: 26 Feb 2011<br>Summary: 26 October 1999 edition.  
>Rating: T<br>Characters/Pairings: Cecil, Kain, Rosa, Kain x Cecil x Rosa  
>Author Notes: <em>inchoate<em>, adjective;  
>1. In an initial or early stage; just begun.<br>2. Imperfectly formed or formulated.  
>Disclaimers: Final Fantasy IV is owned by Square-Enix and I in no way, shape, or form profit off of my writing. This is simply for my own pleasure, and may at any time be removed andor modified as I see fit.

...

Cecil had accepted, over time, that the intricacies of his relationship with Rosa and Kain would always make some things impossible. He didn't mind it so much, because those things were not so important in the grand scheme of life, but he was becoming a bit frustrated. He loved Kain wholeheartedly, but it wouldn't kill the man to allow Cecil a chance to sire at least _one_ offspring. They were never sure who the father was until the birth, but all three of their children were brown-eyed blondes and Baron's king wished for his own son or daughter, just one, so that he might feel wholly what made Kain so passionately thrilled by each child. Cecil loved them without a doubt, and he would never think less of Richard, Marie, or Leon just because he had a child of his own flesh and blood, but the paladin knew he'd never been as _exuberant_ as Kain was about the new babes in those first months after each was born.

He was hopeful that the swell of lovely Rosa's stomach was finally a child of his own, but he couldn't be certain until the birth and that was still some time away. In the meantime, Cecil performed his duties, cared for his pregnant spouse, doted on their children, and hassled his husband right back whenever the man did something ridiculous. His life was a full one, a good one, and he was not lacking in anything, but he still found himself wishing that, perhaps, _this_ child would be his by blood.


	25. Circumlocution C,R, CxR

Title: Word of the Day v. FFIV  
>Author: Garnet Eyes<br>Archived: fanfiction .net, livejournal .com  
>Last Updated: 26 Feb 2011<br>Summary: 27 October 1999 edition.  
>Rating: K+<br>Characters/Pairings: Rosa, Cecil, Cecil x Rosa  
>Author Notes: <em>circumlocution<em>, noun;  
>1. The use of many words to express an idea that might be expressed by few; indirect or roundabout language.<br>Disclaimers: Final Fantasy IV is owned by Square-Enix and I in no way, shape, or form profit off of my writing. This is simply for my own pleasure, and may at any time be removed and/or modified as I see fit.

...

Rosa was a very good queen, an upstanding woman of Baron who took pride in her role and life, but she had noticed something in her court. She was certain that Cecil had noticed it, too, if for no other reason than the way he sometimes scrunched his nose irritably when he noticed a missive from certain nobles. Her king's signs of annoyance always reminded her of a little rabbit, so she took note of them whenever they occurred simply because she could never be malicious enough to cause her husband distress no matter how adorable his expressions. Baron's court was, for lack of a better word, pompous. Nobles toed around what they really wished to say and accomplish, and Rosa was quite positive that some of them did so only to hear the sound of their own voices for longer periods of time. And Cecil would listen, of course, because he was their king and it was his duty to guide his people honorably. But, oh, how she wished she could tell some of those men to stop wasting everyone's time and just get to the point!


	26. Wayworn K, KxCxR

Title: Word of the Day v. FFIV  
>Author: Garnet Eyes<br>Archived: fanfiction .net, livejournal .com  
>Last Updated: 26 Feb 2011<br>Summary: 28 October 1999 edition.  
>Rating: M<br>Characters/Pairings: Kain, Kain x Cecil x Rosa  
>Author Notes: <em>wayworn<em>, adjective;  
>1. Wearied by traveling.<br>Disclaimers: Final Fantasy IV is owned by Square-Enix and I in no way, shape, or form profit off of my writing. This is simply for my own pleasure, and may at any time be removed and/or modified as I see fit.

...

By the time Kain returned to Baron, he had spent many years in the wilderness without the comforts that a noble took for granted. Cecil was not particularly restrained in his greeting, but then, it wouldn't be _Cecil_ if he had settled for something as simple as a handshake. The paladin had always been tactile, and the dragoon was secretly relieved by the embrace he was pulled into. He was also not so secretly bemused by the way Cecil pulled back after a moment and grasped his hand tightly, dragging him off to the royal baths without leave. Kain hadn't the opportunity for more than quick scrubs in cold streams for a long time, and the heat of the water penetrating his tense muscles was a welcome relief. Of course, the younger knight opted to bathe with him, and his soft voice was a pleasant backdrop that Kain was all too happy to listen to as he soaked himself. Cecil wouldn't allow him to cloth himself in any of the scant articles he had left, pushing silks at the older knight seemingly haphazardly. Of course, the paladin did not have any of Kain's clothing in his areas, although some of that ongoing yammering implied that such a fact would change very soon, and the dragoon found himself garbed in some of Cecil's attire. The tunic was small for him, but it was fresh and clean and much softer than the threadbare cloth that had gone under his armor until now. The trousers were short, but predictably loose at the hips due to the younger knight's peculiar proportions; Kain was just happy to have on something decent.

Rosa learned of his arrival some time while he was in the bath, and she hardly waited for him to exit the chamber beside Cecil before she, too, launched into his arms and squeezed as tightly as her strength allowed her. He apparently smelled better, because she didn't pull away so readily. Dinner was another thing that tantalized the dragoon, and he enjoyed each dish immensely. It had been a rare occasion that he would head into town to acquire more of the dwindling necessities he carried, and it was rarer still to stop long enough to have even so much as a meal from a tavern. What Kain enjoyed the most now that he was back in Baron, however, was the bed. Packed soil and rocks were unpleasant nesting grounds for even one night, let alone several years. The bed itself was too soft for his tastes by then, but it didn't matter all that much when he was lying face down on top of Cecil. Sort of. He'd need another bath after what they'd done, but that could wait until morning. And perhaps tomorrow night Kain would pillow his head against Rosa's breast instead. Just until he became used to bedding again, of course.


	27. Potable C,K,R

Title: Word of the Day v. FFIV  
>Author: Garnet Eyes<br>Archived: fanfiction .net, livejournal .com  
>Last Updated: 26 Feb 2011<br>Summary: 29 October 1999 edition.  
>Rating: T<br>Characters/Pairings: Cecil, Kain, Rosa  
>Author Notes: <em>potable<em>, adjective;  
>1. Fit to drink; suitable for drinking; drinkable.<br>noun;  
>1. A potable liquid; a beverage, especially an alcoholic beverage.<br>Disclaimers: Final Fantasy IV is owned by Square-Enix and I in no way, shape, or form profit off of my writing. This is simply for my own pleasure, and may at any time be removed and/or modified as I see fit.

...

Neither Kain nor Cecil had had the heart to express just how disgusting the first mead was that Rosa had ever prepared by herself. She thought it was cute, even so many years later, how they had forced themselves to swallow it. Cecil had had tears in his eyes by the end, but he'd mustered a smile and told her that she was learning very well. Kain had graciously managed not to gag until he had left the house, but he hadn't gotten very far beyond that. Once they were gone, she'd tried it herself and spit it right back out. Not even the delinquent homeless peasants that the farmer just outside of town used as hired help would go near it. From that point on, Rosa refused to invite either of her boys to try her next attempt without trying it herself first. It had taken six total failures before she felt confident enough to invite them again. The looks on their faces had clearly denoted horror, but they dragged themselves to the table and drank it anyway. It was progress, in her mind, that they weren't ashen gray by the time they left.

Nowadays, they really didn't require any prompting beyond the simple call of "food's ready" to clamor to the table and grab their mugs. And it wasn't a rarity for her boys to raise their glasses in silent request for more.


	28. Crepuscular C,K,R, KxCxR

Title: Word of the Day v. FFIV  
>Author: Garnet Eyes<br>Archived: fanfiction .net, livejournl .com  
>Last Updated: 26 Feb 2011<br>Summary: 30 October 1999 edition.  
>Rating: K+<br>Characters/Pairings: Cecil, Kain, Rosa, Kain x Cecil x Rosa  
>Author Notes: <em>crepuscular<em>, adjective;  
>1. Of, pertaining to, or resembling twilight; dim.<br>2. (Zoology) Appearing or active at twilight.  
>Disclaimers: Final Fantasy IV is owned by Square-Enix and I in no way, shape, or form profit off of my writing. This is simply for my own pleasure, and may at any time be removed andor modified as I see fit.

...

Cecil had never been a morning person. Rosa and Kain had been aware of that from the first weeks of knowing him. Cecil loved evenings and he was much more energetic at night. He also slept like the dead and couldn't be roused even by a tumble from the bed unless he landed in a particular way that happened to hurt a lot. It wasn't really public knowledge, but Cecil was utterly hopeless in the first ten or so minutes after he'd awoken for the day; he could barely even dress himself. Actually, he couldn't even really do that well enough to be passable. When he was a tiny boy, the adults mooned over that uncoordinated mess, even if young Kain thought that was a stupid reason to praise someone. He didn't think it was so stupid, anymore. Cecil was absolute fluff in the mornings, and the dragoon held close to his heart his secret pleasure over the way the smaller man rubbed his eyes and stumbled around like a drunken rabbit; the paladin barely achieved enough momentum to move forward, never mind chancing any injury. Rosa did not feel the need to hide how she enjoyed the same things, although Cecil wasn't conscious enough to be embarrassed by her cooing until much later.


	29. Doppelganger C, imKxCxR

Title: Word of the Day v. FFIV  
>Author: Garnet Eyes<br>Archived: fanfiction .net, livejournal .com  
>Last Updated: 26 Feb 2011<br>Summary: 31 October 1999 edition.  
>Rating: T<br>Characters/Pairings: Cecil, implied Kain x Cecil x Rosa  
>Author Notes: <em>doppelganger<em>, noun;  
>1. A ghostly double or counterpart of a living person.<br>2. Alter ego; double.  
>Disclaimers: Final Fantasy IV is owned by Square-Enix and I in no way, shape, or form profit off of my writing. This is simply for my own pleasure, and may at any time be removed andor modified as I see fit.

...

Cecil didn't like to reflect on much, anymore. If he'd known all along what he knew now, he would have shied away from human contact from the start. It didn't matter much, by that point. He was used to everyone around him dying. Lunarians had an incredible lifespan compared to humans. One that had seen Cecil through five generations so far, and he really didn't feel any older, nor did he look it. He missed the people he'd once known – missed Cid, Yang, Edge, and Edward, missed Rydia and the ever-entertaining Palom and Porom. More than any of the rest, though, he ached for his beloved. He hadn't known how the endless years would stretch before him, alone. He couldn't bear the thought of opening himself to another; his life with Rosa, his time with Kain, it had never been enough. Some days, when he visited their graves, he longed for the time when his body would join their remains while his soul would finally be free to seek out theirs. Suicide was a coward's way out, and Cecil had promised his beloved that he would not do such a thing. But the longing was painful, and strong enough that the half-blood paladin consciously realized that he occasionally hallucinated his beloved into being. It was made all the worse by the fact that he'd talk to them and they'd talk back, and he could never predict what they would say no matter how hard he tried. Those were the days that he wondered of his sanity.


End file.
